Redemption
by Tsurugi-Sama
Summary: The village betrayed him, bringing the death to the one person truly close to him. Now, bearing his sins, Naruto leaves for new adventures. Such is the life of a mercenary. NaruXOC
1. Betrayed!

**Redemption**

Prologue

The sun was just peeking over the hills of rice country as the boy entered the small town below Mt. Unzen. It was a tiny village, with only a few hundred members in the community. But it was a tourist's paradise. Secluded between a wide mountain range and a deep forest, it was a bit of heaven on earth.

But one boy had little time to enjoy this heaven. He ran through the trees at top speed, appearing as an orange blur against the soft green of the leaves. The thirteen-year-old boy soared through the sky, feeling the wind rush through his blonde hair, flowing freely without the restriction of his forehead protector. He had just entered left the mountains where he'd completed the next stage of the mission, and now, he only had to wait until nightfall to complete his mission.

He landed in a tree in the middle of the park, recovering from the drop, and swung around the branch with his hand and landed at the base of the tree. Naruto leaned forward, rolling onto his back, and began to laugh. He was finally on a mission again! Ever since the Sasuke retrieval mission, the council hadn't sent him on any missions, probably because they knew he used the demon fox chakra to fight him. But now, they'd given him this A-rank mission solo! And considering how things were with his team, it was probably for the best.

It has been six months since the mission. Sasuke had been placed under heavy probation and hadn't been allowed to leave the village since then. While they remained on the same team, only Sakura and Kakashi had been given missions outside the village, always leaving the two of them to train. It always felt odd when they had trained…they wouldn't talk, and they'd always be as rough as they could, occasionally resulting in trips to the hospital. But somehow, there was some sort of odd respect between the two, under all that bitter rivalry.

Sakura didn't hate him, but she had distanced herself from him after the mission. Kakashi hadn't hated him, and actually congratulated him on his increase in strength, and on defeating and saving Sasuke, but…the bonds that had once held the four of them together had worn thin. They never went on picnics…never went to festivals together…it was all just work and training. Iruka really felt like the only family he had left, but he couldn't bother him every day. After all, he was only one student out of many, and with new classes started, it was hard to make time. He couldn't make him ignore all the other students. So for the past six months, he'd been almost completely alone.

Of course, that did give him a chance to train. He'd already perfected his use of his natural element: wind, and he also had an affinity for fire, which he wanted to start practicing. He already knew about four basic wind jutsus, and wanted to invent his own, but before he could start, he'd been given the mission. It was his salvation from endless training, and his ticket to see the world once more.

Naruto quieted down, and began watching the clouds roam freely across the sky. He was starting to see just why Shikamaru loved staring at them all day. It was calming, just to watch them float, and to wish he could be among them. Just watching them made him feel lighter, and almost seemed to remove the burdens he bore. It seemed like he stayed there for hours, until…

"Hi there!" A chipper little girl called, leaning over his face. "Whatcha doin, mister?"

Naruto looked up at the girl. She wore a white sundress and a white sun hat, wearing a pink ribbon around the base of the top, tied in a bow in the back. She had short deep red hair and sparkling blue eyes. She held a red leash, which was attached to a collar around the neck of a small kit.

"Are you visiting the village?" The girl asked.

Naruto sat up, as the little girl stood straight up. "Yeah…I came by to see the sights on my way to lightning country."

"Are you lost? Why're you out here? This park isn't really close to the markets."

Naruto looked down, staring at the shaded grass. "Lost? …Well, I guess you could say that."

"Oh really." The girl smiled. "I just came out here to get my fox friend here some fresh air." She said, petting the young kit on the head. "My family loves foxes. Everyone in my family has one."

"…I thought everyone hated foxes, what with what happened thirteen years ago."

But the girl shook her head. "No. That was a demon. But these foxes…our foxes are special. They recognize us as family, and this place as their territory. If anyone was attacked, they'd fight for us. They're apart of our family." She said, picking up her kit and holding it in her arms. "Is there anything special to you?"

Naruto searched for something, but Konoha didn't come to mind. Maybe Iruka, but even he'd been drifting away. "…Now that I try to find something, I can't think of anything truly special to me."

The girl sighed. "That's so sad, mister." She went silent for a moment, before brightening up, giving him a bright smile. "I know! Let's meet here tomorrow! We'll be friends!" The girl said happily.

Naruto looked up, slightly in shock, but the girl just smiled, holding out her pinky. It was childish, but it made him happy. Giving a true, warm smile, he held out his own pinky, taking the girl's. They stayed like that as the girl made their plan. "Meet me back here at noon tomorrow. I'll bring some lunch for us to eat!" She said happily.

Then, the small fox made a small wail, and jumped out of the girl's hands, coming up to Naruto and standing on his lap, looking him in the eye. Slowly, Naruto pulled up his hand and placed it on the fox's head, and began petting the kit, slowly moving his hand along its body. The girl giggled. "He likes you." She said.

After a minute of petting, the fox licked Naruto's cheek, causing him to chuckle, before jumping off and running back to the girl. "Our foxes act a little different than normal foxes. They're really nice and friendly." The girl lifted her kit into her arms again and brought him to her chest. "Well, I should go. Mama's probably worried about me." She finished, running off back to the village. "Rememeber, meet me here at noon tomorrow! Goodbye, new friend!" She said happily.

"Yeah…See you tomorrow!" He shouted, before falling back onto the ground. Naruto looked back at the clouds, smiling brightly for the first time in months.

**Break**

"Alright…done!" Naruto announced to himself as he planted the last explosive note on the sound base. For the past two weeks, he'd been traveling by day and by night to various sections of the base, planting explosive notes and preparing to knock out the foundation of the base in Mt. Unzen. Now, all that was left was to detonate them in the dead of night.

Naruto rushed to a safe distance on a small cliff-face on the side of the mountain, over a hundred feet away from the other buildings of the base. All of them were held up by wood, and if he destroyed the wooden posts, they'd collapse, and kill any sound shinobi inside of it. It wouldn't harm the village, and Naruto planned on spending some time in the village after that just to relax. There would probably be a festival for the destruction of the base, anyway. Orochimaru wasn't exactly liked around here, either.

Slowly, Naruto pulled out a kunai with an explosive note attached, and ignited it, throwing it at the support beam. The result was spectacular!

The first note blew, igniting the others around the building. The sound shinobi didn't even have time to react as the buildings fell apart, and as the explosions began to spread, from one building to the hallway to the next, until the entire base was just a pile of rubble. Fires engulfed the wooden remains, slowly eating away at whatever was left of the base. Naruto smirked. His work was done. Until suddenly, as Naruto turned to head back down the mountain under the cover of night, light filled the air, and Naruto felt something very warm to his left.

Naruto whirled around just in time to watch as the side of the mountain where the base once stood burst open, spewing the hot red magma down the side, slowly engulfing the remains of the base, as well as the few living who still remained. Naruto watched in horror as he heard a few shrieks slice through the air, chilling him to the bone.

Hot ash filled the sky, blocking out the stars and the moon, before slowly descending downwards. Naruto knew that he had to get down there and help the villagers escape. The lava would probably stop before it reached the village, or miss it completely, but the hot ash descending from the sky would pile up and kill anyone who remained.

Naruto leapt down the cliff, running as fast as he could, but before he got too far, a column of lava burst through the mountain in the middle of his path. He couldn't stop in time, and so jumped to the side, flying past the lava spout.

Naruto came to a stop on another cliff, watching as his path became too red to walk across. He tried to find a place to jump, but he doubted he could make it.

Another roaring sound made him turn around, in time to see more lava heading straight for him. Naruto quickly flashed through seven handseals, and flattened his hands, placing them in front of his mouth and keeping them less than a centimeter apart. "Wind Style: Slicing Wind Blade!" With that, he released the chakra he kept stored inside of him, blowing the wind chakra through his hands, and using his hands as a mold of the shape of the chakra, he created a wind blade that parted the lava, keeping him safe. But he knew he couldn't do it for long. Gathering all his chakra into his feet, he jumped back, over thirty feet in the air. He landed on a piece of solid rock, looking back to watch as the rock he stood on only moments ago melted in seconds.

But now, he stood on a rock where there was nowhere left to go. He knew he'd be safe on this rock; it was high up on the ground. But…all the people below…

Naruto crouched over as ash began to fall around him, cradling himself. He was crying, something he'd sworn to never do again. But now…he looked at the sweet village once more, and broke down, unable to stand the sound of the screams any longer.

**Break**

Daybreak. No sun. No joy. No beginnings. Naruto made his way through the ruins of the village, covered in what looked like a fresh blanket of tainted snow. The ash had buried so much, and the lava had made its way down to destroy half the village. Over a hundred people had died, all because of him. He couldn't stand it.

Yet, his face showed no emotion. He was broken. He had only been able to watch and listen to the screams as the eruption destroyed the village. Now, people were returning to the village, looking for any survivors.

So far, no luck.

Naruto walked along the ash, along the burned and mugged buildings along the streets. Two punks came along, both with radios and television's in their hands, obviously trying to get away before somebody saw them. But Naruto didn't care. That wasn't what mattered. He still couldn't believe that he'd done this; that over a hundred died because of this stupid war. Naruto turned the corner into the market, and in that moment, his heart stopped, and his blood ran cold.

That white sunhat the girl had been wearing the other day lay on a pole stuck in the ash, half destroyed, with the rims burned and a gaping hole in the top. Naruto walked up to it, whimpering. He slowly picked it up, only to watch it fall apart in his hands. The only thing remaining was the pink ribbon. He slowly picked it up, noting its acceptable condition. As he held it, his whimpers turned to cries as more tears ran down his face. He collapsed over the destroyed hat, crying at the loss of one so innocent, and his only true friend.

Suddenly, he heard another whimper from beside him. There, in a steel pipe, half-buried in the ash, stood the kit the girl had played with the other day. It slowly poked its head out of the steel pipe, sniffing the air and looking at Naruto. It was burned in several places, and it looked like it hurt to move. Naruto slowly stood up and went over to the young fox while pocketing the ribbon, holding out his hand for it. The fox slowly backed away, but sniffed again and walked forward onto his outstretched hand. Naruto took the fox and held it close to his chest, weeping more over the loss. The fox cuddled closely to him, accepting his new sanctuary.

Then, something clicked in Naruto's mind: the council must have known. They must have known that this would happen. They had sent spies, and if this was a volcano, they would have known. They set him up, he thought. They tried to get rid of him. That's why they gave him this one mission. He wasn't supposed to come back. Sitting down, he placed the kit in his lap, and watched it curl up into a ball as he reached to his forehead to his headband. He removed it, and stared at it with a blank expression, before stowing it as deeply as he could into his ninja pouch. He took out the ribbon from the little girl and wrapped it around his neck, like a choker, and tied a ribbon in the back. It must have looked odd, him wearing a pink ribbon around his neck, but he didn't care.

Picking up the kit once more, he realized what he had to do: he had to get away from here. He would be blamed, even if he was set up. He had no real proof. Naruto had to escape. But not before he said goodbye properly. While keeping the fox in one arm, he reached down and collected the remains of the hat, and walked to the edge of the forest, where he dug a hole and placed them under the soil in front of a giant rock. There, he wrote a message on some paper and wrapped it in cloth, before planting it on the ground with a kunai, promising to return here again, and to never forget his crime. "Please…forgive me…" He said, still showing no signs of emotion. He couldn't even cry for the girl anymore, even if she deserved that much from him, at least.

Naruto knew he was supposed to be dead. He couldn't go back to the village. He had to escape, and create a new road. Holding the kit tightly, he began walking into the forest, to god knows where. He slowly held the still trembling fox, stroking the unburned fur, offering him a small bit of relief. After many miles of walking, the fox fell into a peaceful sleep in his arms. Naruto gave a small smile to the kit. And as he watched the tiny fox sleep, memories of the girl filled his mind once more, swiftly breaking the smile off his face once more. Slowly, without making a sound, he continued through the forest, to roads unknown, bearing the weight of his sins.

Next Time: A Mercenary Is Born!

**Notes**

Alright! Next story is started! I've got a pretty good idea on how this will go, but it's not all planned out yet.

I've given Naruto a little companion, isn't that nice? Well, this chapter sets the story off to a good start. I think you'll be surprised where this story ends up. Oh, and by the way, this is a NaruxOC!!

Next time, I plan to update The Paths We Walk, but that will be a couple of weeks. I have some careful planning ahead of me.

**Fic Fact**

Originally, I was just going to have Naruto run away from Konoha, but in the end, I decided to have Naruto appear dead to others was better for the story I have planned.

Well, until next time! If you liked the story, please leave a review!

Later

Tsurugi-Sama


	2. A Mercenary Is Born!

**Redemption**

A mercenary is born!

The clouds were dull, a dead grey. No tears, nothing.

Sasuke looked up at the clouds, curious as to why they remained silent. They were full of rain, ready to let loose, but they held it in. Was there a reason too? Well, he wasn't one to say anything about it. He lowered his head, and stared blankly forward, in the Konoha graveyard, awaiting the beginning of the funeral for Uzumaki Naruto.

Over thirty people had gathered for the funeral, gathered around the small stone marker. It was merely ceremonial, nothing more, for it contained nothing more than a few strands of his jacket. Tsunade had sent the remaining members of squad seven after him, including Sasuke, but they came up with nothing more. The stone was identical to all others, with his name and a leaf mark on the stone, with two candles on the sides of it, and a message placed between them: 'In memory of the child who lived full out, never turning his back on his home.'

Tsunade stepped behind the marker in black funeral robes, just as everyone else was, blinking away a small tear. She couldn't cry for the boy, not now. She had to be strong for him, and for his friends. She had to show Naruto that Konoha was still in good hands, and that his sacrifice was not in vain.

She turned to the crowd, scanning them, keeping silent for a moment. She took a deep breath, and began her speech. "I remember when I first met Naruto…he was loud, obnoxious, and a brat. I won't sugarcoat it, he still was. But…beneath all the idiocy and bragging, lied a heart beyond gold. He was the living embodiment of what all ninja should be…caring, protective, believing, and carried with him a will to never surrender, and to keep fighting, no matter the odds." Tsunade took a deep breath, before continuing. "With his death, we have lost one of our shining stars, but we must never forget to remember. Even in death, let his memory live on in each and every one of us. That is the final lesson his death can give us. Never forget, and thank you." The Hokage finished, kneeling to put her white flower on the stone, kissing the name, and standing to take her place in the crowd.

Next was the time when people would come up to give their own flowers to the deceased. Iruka, staring blankly at the stone. "I won't cry, Naruto. You wouldn't want me to cry. I promise, I'll return." Iruka muttered, placing his flower down. "Stay strong, and good luck on your next journey." He said with a small smile, before standing and walking back into the front row.

Next came Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi. They were crying, placing their flowers down, before running back into the crowd, still not wanting to believe their boss was dead.

Gai came up next, placing his flower down. "Without you, Lee would never have healed. Thank you. You really were an amazing kid. May your newfound youth in your next life give you strength." He smiled, before also adding a cheesy green jumpsuit to the pile, and walked off.

Lee came next, crying slightly. "Naruto-kun…I'll grow even stronger, and prove to everyone that a dunce can become great! I'll prove it for you, Naruto, since you no longer can…goodbye." He said, placing his flower down.

Tenten walked forward as Lee left, delicately placing it down. "You brought Tsunade-sama back. It's because of you that my dream was fulfilled. Yet…you do that for a lot of people. It doesn't seem fair that they all get their dreams because of you, and you never got yours, does it?" She smiled. "Thank you…for everything."

Neji came up next, placing his flower down, running his fingers along the message. "You save others from darkness…but not yourself, just as the Hokages have done. You're a true hero, Naruto."

Shino walked forward, giving his flower. "Farewell, Naruto." It was short, but everyone who knew Shino knew this was showing great respect.

Kiba came up next, with Akamaru on his head, whimpering. "Hey…I guess I'll never get that rematch now, huh?" He tried to chuckle, but let it die. "I remember how we used to skip class together. How'd we ever drift apart? Now look at us…you really taught me how to treasure what I have, ya know? Thanks, man." He said as Akamaru howled on his head.

Hinata had to be pushed forward by Kurenia. It was acceptable, seeing as the girl couldn't see straight through all the tears. They both laid down their flowers, and Hinata tried to say something, but went hoarse. Kurenai looked at her, then turned to the stone. "She says thanks for helping her, in case you can't tell." Hinata sniffled, nodded, then tried to smile, before walking back to the crowd.

Ino came up next, giving her own flower. "You were loud, but your heart was in the right place. I'm sorry you had to die, Naruto."

Choji came next, laying down his flower, along with a single potato chip. "It's the last one…I always eat the last one, but I think…just this once…you can have it, Naruto. Thanks for being my friend. I'm sorry we couldn't help you when you needed us the most."

Shikamaru came up, leaving a flower and a go piece. "It's the queen, the most diverse unit in the game. You always did have a trick up your sleeve, Naruto. And now, without you, things are only going to get more troublesome. See you on the other side someday."

Asuma walked up and laid down a flower, nodding. "Your death will not be without meaning. I speak for all of us when I say that. We swear." He said, lighting a cigarette, taking a puff, before turning and heading back.

Next, three people came forward, people who had come all the way from the land of wave. Inari, Tsunami and Tazuna all laid down a flower. "We named the bridge after you, for the same motto you now carry with you to death." Tazuna whispered.

"You died like a hero…just like daddy…" Inari whimpered. He clutched his hands, forming tight fists, and looking up. "I'll grow stronger too! I'll be a hero to everyone, just like you! I'll save the world too someday!"

Tsunami smiled, and bowed. "Without you to inspire our people, nothing would've changed. You saved us from our own cowardice. Thank you, for everything."

As the three stepped back, the ramen shop employees walked forward, both giving a flower, and walked off, tearing up at the thought of never seeing his smiling face again.

Temari came up next, adding her flower to the growing pile. "You really showed us something back there…everythings changed because of you." She bowed, and left.

Kankuro came up next, not wearing his mask or makeup, letting his dark hair out. "You saved Gaara…he's really my brother now…" He smiled. "Thank you. We're finally a family, because of you."

Gaara came up next, adding his own flower, but giving something else. "You gave me my freedom…and as worthless as this may be compared to that…" Gaara took out a small gourd of sand and sprinkled it around the grave. He performed some handseals, and touched the sand. Then, he took out a kunai and tried to cut the grave, and nodded when he was the sand curve up to protect it, only to curl back around the grave's sides. "That sand will draw upon the chakra of the earth. It's the least I can do to repay you…but now, it's all I can do. I'm so sorry. Farewell, my friend." Gaara stood up and walked off into the front of the crowd.

Jiraiya came next, placing a flower down, and an entire copy of the Icha Icha series before the stone. "For the next world. I'm not going to say I'm sorry, because it wasn't my fault…but…" He smiled. "If you see Minato, tell him ero-sennin said hi, and that he misses you both very much. I'll be along in a few years, so stay out of trouble until then, hey?" He smiled once more, before turning around and exiting the funeral, his final message to his final pupil completed.

Sakura came next, placing her flower down. "I never really got to know you, and now…now I never will. Forgive me…for never being there when you needed me…" She said, breaking into tears. "I wish I could call you my friend…but I don't know if I can…"

Kakashi came up, placed his flower down, and nodded at Sakura. "Naruto, if you can hear me, remember: you were friends. We'll always care for you…and…" He went silent, gathering his wits, and finished. "Please, if anyone here needs to ask for forgiveness, it's me. I should have come. If I had…then perhaps you would have survived. I promised to never let my comrades die, but I've failed again. I'm sorry." Kakashi finished, looking downward once more. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture of his squad, Sakura leaned down to kiss the stone, and they turned around and returned to the group.

Now, all that was left was Sasuke. He walked forward, clutching the white flower. He laid it down on top of all the others, and ran his hand over the name. He opened his mouth to say something, but found nothing to say. He sat there, just running his hand over the letters of Naruto's name.

Tsunade, seeing that everyone else had given their respects, decided it was time to end the funeral. "Thank you everyone for attending. You are dismissed." The crowd nodded, beginning to disperse, wanting to push the death of a comrade out of their minds for a short while.

Tsunade walked up to the side reserved for officials, where she met the two heads of the council, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. She walked over to them, sitting between them, and whispered "I know you set him up. I know you killed him."

Hotaru nodded, muttering "Yes, this is true, Hokage-Sama, however it was necessary."

"Necessary?! He was one of our own!" The Hokage hissed, keeping her voice low enough to attract attention.

Koharu sighed. "He was a wonderful shinobi, Hokage-Sama. However, the fox was cracking the seal, and there was a possibility of its imminent release. We had to sacrifice him, for the safety of all our lands and their people. His one death has ensured the survival of the world."

Tsunade growled, and turned away. "It's still not right…how could you? He was just a boy!"

"A boy that was cursed. He shall be remembered as a hero, and a savior of our village."

"And what of the others that died?!" She roared.

"The same principle applies." Homura said calmly. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. The deaths of hundreds have ensured the survival of millions."

Tsunade bit her lip, and let her guard down, letting a tear slide down her cheek. "It was for the people, Tsunade. Naruto wanted to defend the village. In this way, he's helped save it."

Tsunade shook her head. "I'll never forgive you. I have no choice but to keep quiet…but I'll never forgive you." She stated, walking off back to the Hokage tower.

Meanwhile, Sasuke hadn't moved from that spot. He kept tracing the name, trying to think of something to say.

Kakashi appeared next to him, staring at the stone, and watching Sasuke's fingers curve around the name. "Well, Sasuke?"

Sasuke paused, and let his hand slide down the stone, running down the sand that coated the sides, and whispered "…We were best friends, we both knew that. But I never told him that that went beyond power to me. And now…He'll never know."

Kakashi stared at the stone, watching Sasuke touch the message. "It's only after it's gone that we realize just how much it meant to us. We find so many new things to say, things that we wish we had spoken, and yet in the end, it's always just too late. Death…truly is an ending."

A tear hit the grave, then another, and another. Sasuke sniffed, gathering whatever strength he could. "Is that what it's like…to really lose a brother?" He asked himself, as his tears were mixed with those from the sky.

"…Yet, even after death, he continues to change and inspire others, more strongly than any Hokage could. His death was not in vain, Sasuke. Never forget him." Kakashi stood there for a moment, before turning around and walking away. It looked like from now on, he'd be having company at the memorial stone.

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'_It's too noisy._' Naruto complained as he entered the cheap restaurant. It was run down, water leaking from the ceiling, and a lot of drunken idiots stumbling around the place. Several areas were covered with a good coating of half-digested food, and the waiters seemed looked like nothing more than drug addicts. Naruto sighed, looking in his pocket. He only had a few hundred ryou left. He couldn't be picky about where he ate. He had to make it last as long as he could. He walked over to a table in the corner and sat down on the sturdiest chair he could find…it was still missing a leg.

He'd been wandering for three weeks now, and his clothes were desperately in need of replacement. His only new addition was an ugly brown cloak with a hood, but it still had several holes all over it. The young kit was still on his shoulder, watching with fascination as two idiots began a fight. And by a fight, I mean tripping over their own feet and bumping heads, passing out sprawled over each other. The ring broke out in laughter as another group of drunken idiots began an argument, and finally one of them landed a fist.

Naruto pulled out the menu and scanned it, disappointed at the lack of ramen. Instead, he chose the most edible thing on the menu: onigiri with a side of pork, and some water for him and some in a dish for his kit. The waitress nodded, and skillfully maneuvered through the crowd as another waitress pulled a few knocked out thugs to the back of the room.

Naruto sighed. He'd been trying to think about what to do. He thought about going to another village to join up, but that couldn't work. He hated the Konoha council, but his friends were still there. He couldn't join another nation knowing a war may break out. Besides, if he got listed in the bingo book, he could only image how Konoha would react. No, he had to keep his existence a secret now. He couldn't become a legend now. He had to keep people thinking he was dead, just so that he could stay alive. He didn't want to admit it, but it was true.

Konoha was now his enemy.

He looked up as his food arrived. He reached over his shoulder to the fox and placed it on the table, letting it get a good drink, and then eat its pork. Naruto ate his plate of riceballs in what had to be a world record, and sighed, knowing it may be a while before he could eat again.

He stood up and left with the fox on his shoulder, when he heard some commotion outside. He peeked around the door, and saw three well-dressed men in front of a merchant, threatening him.

"Hey, you! We're three chunin from the stone village defending this town! And you have the nerve to make us pay that much for this crappy food?! You should be thankful we're willing to pay anything!"

"Hey! You're still just a customer, and you pay full price!" The man shouted back.

"Why you! Sir, permission to teach this man a lesson!" One of the soldiers asked.

"…No. We're not here to cause trouble."

"But sir!"

"No!" The older shinobi ordered.

The shop owner smirked. "See? Now why don't you run along like good little puppies?"

The shorter rock shinobi scowled. "That's it!" He roared, charging at the man with his companion running right behind him. "You're gonna pay for that, old man!"

BAM!!!

Naruto, covered by his cloak, rushed out and punched the first man in the face, sending him ten feet back. He turned just in time to see the second one recover from surprise and rush at him, pulling out a kunai. Naruto pulled one out as well, and blocked the strike. For a moment, they stayed locked in combat, staring at the other, before leaping back and regrouping.

By now, the second had already stood back up, and they both charged at him from different sides, not wanting to waste chakra on the kid. Naruto saw both come in on his sides, and as they tried to slash him, he grabbed both their arms and swung up into the air, pulling them through. He finished flipping in the air just as they crossed each other, and Naruto stomped on their heads as he fell, sending them both into the dirt. Naruto took their kunai, readying for the finishing touch, when the third appeared behind him and grabbed his arms.

"That's enough." The man said. Once he felt that Naruto had calmed down, the tall shinobi let go of him, and picked up his two comrades. "I apologize for their behavior. They're a little cocky. I'll make sure to discipline them for this act."

Naruto nodded, noting the man's deep voice. He had brown eyes and black hair that was tied in a high pony tail. He also noted that the man was observing him. "I see…very well then."

The man nodded. "Very well then. I'll be leaving now." Naruto nodded, and turned to leave himself, pushing through the crowd that had gathered.

He walked for a short time, reaching beneath his cloak to zip down the cover where the kit had been hiding. "Hey there. Don't worry, I took care of everything, and nobody died this time." He said, smiling sadly. He turned into an alley to rest for the night, and sat in the cleanest part, tucking his knees to his chest and letting his head fall as the kit stayed where it was in his clothing, enjoying the warmth.

He couldn't rent a room at a hotel. He didn't have nearly enough money. So this was all he could get. Sighing, he took out a cracker and took a bite, giving some to the fox. Once it was finished, he set his head against his arms, ready to sleep.

He was about to lose himself to sleep when he felt something placed across his mouth. He gasped when he felt a kunai at his throat, and inhaled something sharp within the tissue. Naruto suddenly felt light-headed, and began losing focus. He fought to stay alert, but quickly gave out, and passed into unconciousness.

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Naruto slowly opened his eyes, aware of the cold, dank feeling he was experiencing. He tried to move his hands to rub his headache, but he soon realized that they were tied. Naruto frowned as realization set in: he was strapped to a chair, wearing only his boxers. The room was lit only by a single hanging light above him, with water dripping from the corner. Naruto looked at his side, taking notice of his little kit struggling beside him.

Taking full note of the situation, he smirked, and ran his tongue across the outward side of his left molars, dislodging a steel nail file. Naruto positioned it in his mouth with his tongue, and threw it up in the air, using six months worth of training to throw it into his hands directly behind his back. He caught it, and slowly began destroying the ropes, with whatever mobility he could muster. After a half hour of filing, he managed to release his hands, and smirked, untying his legs and his torso, then running over to his whimpering kit and removing its bondings.

Naruto put the kit on his shoulder, and ran out of the light's range. There, he ran his hands along the wall, until he found a handle. He was about to open it, but thought twice about it and ducked to the side of the door, pulling it open with him behind it. Good thing he did, as the door triggered a kunai trap, sending kunai soaring through the door and through the empty space where he once occupied. More kunai shot out from the side, embedding themselves in the door just opposite where Naruto was. Naruto made this observation, and grabbed the kit and swung himself over the door as the last set of kunai sailed through the air. Seeing no further danger, Naruto ran outside.

Naruto heard only the echo of his feet meeting the ground as he ran through the long hallway. He tried to sense any chakra in the area, but came up with nothing. He continued to run down the halls until he finally came upon a door with a small window.

Naruto ran up to the side of it and spun around, covering it with his back. He slid along the wall until he could just peer through the window. Through it, he could just make out the silhouette of a tall man facing away from him. It had to be a ninja, because he had two fuma clan shurikens around his back and a kunai pouch at his leg. Naruto looked around some more through the small window, but the rest was covered in darkness. Naruto decided that his only option was to charge through, and take this guy hostage.

Naruto stepped back and held out his hand. Focusing his chakra, he formed a rasengan, and smashed through the door, feeling the kit's claws dig into his skin from fear. He gave a small growl, but kept his focus. He slammed the glowing blue ball into the wooden door, smashing it to pieces. The man turned around, but the wooden shrapnel struck him hard, followed by Naruto kicking him to the ground, pulling out the man's kunai and pressing it to his throat.

"Where am I? What have you done to me?!" Naruto demanded, grabbing the man's shirt. When the man didn't respond, he punched the man in the face, shouting his question.

"…Enough…!" A voice above them said. Naruto looked up, trying to locate the owner of the voice, but saw only darkness. The man below him smirked, and knocked away the hand on his collar and grabbed his kunai back, swinging himself up and kicking Naruto's feet out from under him. He landed as Naruto fell, and pressed his heel down on Naruto's throat. However, as soon as he did, he removed it, his own victory achieved, and jumped up into the unlit area of the room. Naruto stood up, rubbing his throat, keeping himself fully alert in case of an attack.

"…He has potential. He escaped relatively quickly after waking up, and avoided all of our traps." A younger voice said above him.

"Perhaps, but he's still no stronger than an average chunin."

"Yet for a boy of only thirteen, that is amazing. He could grow to be on the high council if his growth continues at this rate."

"Heh. He'll die before he reaches that level."

"Perhaps, but I think we can all agree on offering him an invitation."

"To the lower levels, perhaps. He's not ready for full membership until we've seen what he can really do."

"Our scout said that he took down two rock shinobi relatively quickly."

"Only because of surprise, and he would've been killed by the third."

"Yet he still managed to disable two of them before he was apprehended. Quite impressive. He's clearly above the norm."

"We must move cautiously with this boy. There are many things we do not know about him yet."

"Yet with the information our spy in Konoha was able to retrieve, he's continued to show incredible improvement."

"Hmm…perhaps we should test him."

"He's been tested enough. Just invite him already! Sheesh!"

Naruto, in the meantime, was growing frustrated. He began scowling, and began to growl as the voices continued to talk about him as if he was some guinea pig. Finally he snapped. "Hey! I'm down here, ya bunch of morons." He barked.

"You shall speak when spoken to." One of them responded.

"Shut up, ya bunch of assholes! You abduct me, take away my stuff, and my dignity, and now you treat me like a stuffed doll! Just tell me what the hell I'm doing here!!" Naruto demanded.

"…Perhaps we should finish this up. We've seen he's clearly fit to perform lower level assignments."

"Yes…I agree."

"As do I."

"And I."

"And I."

"And I."

"Yeah, me too."

"I too shall agree."

"Very well…I'm outnumbered. I agree."

"Yes…let us begin."

As the last voice ended, the lights in the room flashed on, filling the dark room with color. Naruto's eyes widened as he realized he was standing in the center of a large circular table over fifteen feet high, with ten members, all around him, observing his every move.

"Wh…what's going on?" Naruto asked. The kit on his shoulder huddled closer to his cheek, clearly afraid.

The man at the opposite side of the entrance stood tall, with long black hair falling behind him. "Uzumaki Naruto, we would like to invite you to join our Guild."

Naruto eyed the man carefully, trying to keep his own composure. "…And what would this guild's purpose be?"

The man to his left smirked. "Our Guild is one of mercenaries, ones that will take on any sort of jobs. Of course, each person still has their own preferences."

Naruto looked around at the others, noting the lack of emotion on every face. "…Why should I join you?"

"We know of the events that took place a short while ago…we know of the eruption, and the deaths of those people." Naruto flinched, not wanting to be reminded of those events.

"…Do you regret those actions?" The man near the back asked.

"…Yes…"

"Well, it appears you can no longer return to your village. And you need a way to survive. The pay is quite good here, even for lower level missions."

"…Why is that?"

The man beside the one at the head smirked. "Because, many of these missions are dirty ones. Assassinations mostly, that other nations want done, but would lose credibility if they announced it. So, they come to an assigned representative of our underground guild for their nation and give it to them, who then send it through a long chain back to our headquarters, who then offer it to a member. It's quite complex, so the rest will be explained later, if you choose to accept."

"…If I refuse, you'll erase my memory, correct?" They nodded. "Heh…well, I need a place to live…and I need to get some cash…and if I get to choose my missions, then why not?" Naruto said, smirking.

The head nodded. "Very well, but don't think we'll care if you die. We're not a village. Our members are not a family. You are merely a subordinate, and expendable if necessary. We won't come looking for your body if you die."

Naruto sighed. He knew it was too good to be true. In reality, he didn't want to accept. He wanted to find more honorable things to do with his life.

"…Give it a minute. We'll wait for you to come up with an answer." The head told him, before the lights that illuminated the men went off once more, leaving him to his thoughts in the last of the light.

It was hard, knowing they were still watching him. He didn't like them at all, those sneaky bastards. And even now, he knew that they were watching him. It actually sent a chill down his spine.

He was scared. They seemed to know everything about him. His past, that he set off the eruption, and that he felt incredibly guilty over it. Something wasn't right. But he had to admit, it would be a great way to begin redeeming himself. If he could reject missions, and accept the ones he liked, he could choose only ones that involved punishing those who do evil, such as Orochimaru. Maybe here, he could begin making up for his past sins. Finding few reasons against it, he decided to let go of the past in exchange for the future.

Naruto slowly stood back up after a half hour of justifying his choice. As he did, the lights turned back on. "So, what is your decision, boy?" One of the member asked.

"…I'll do it, and I'll start right now. Give me some money and some weapons, and I'll head on out."

"Would you like you icha icha back?" One of the members said mockingly.

Naruto blushed. "So…you found that?"

The member, obviously more playful than the others, nodded. "Yup! All five currently released, and a sixth one still off the market for another month! Quite a skilled thief, if a little perverted." In reality, they were gifts from Jiraiya, but Naruto felt lie this story would serve him better, so he simply nodded. Besides, he wouldn't completely lie. He was a pervert.

"Very well." The leader said as he threw him his books, the necklace he got from Tsunade, and a set of clothes. They were nothing more than a red tank top and a pair of black pants and sandals and some kunai and shuriken. Along with these came a note. "If you complete your first mission, open that. But only after. Any earlier, and the spell will kill you. It will lead you to another location to receive proper equipment."

"Why not just come back here?" Naruto asked.

"Because this is merely where we bring new recruits, such as yourself. After you open that note, you'll forget the location of this facility, and we shall never meet again. Are we clear?"

"Yes, I understand." Naruto said calmly.

"Very well. Now for the mission. First, we have a request to assassinate the Godaime Hokage…"

"No." Naruto said firmly. He didn't like the council who he knew tricked him, but he still refused to hurt the people who hadn't hurt him. "No, I'll never to that."

"Very well, then perhaps you'll answer a request to guard a merchant heading through Lighting country to Earth country.

"No, too simple. He doesn't really need protection. He's just a coward. If he came here instead of heading to a real village, he must be small-time, or a black market dealer. I'd sooner kill him than help him." Naruto said firmly.

The leader nodded. "Very well…perhaps you'll accept a mission to eliminate a real smuggler."

"…I'm interested." Naruto said calmly.

"His name is Hanziki. He's currently in a small village north of Sunagakure, or so our sources tell us. He's not exactly big-time, but Sunagakure officials want him dead for selling illegal maps of the general region for enemy use. Expect minor resistance. So do you accept?" The man asked.

Naruto smirked. Perhaps he could repent for his sins after all. "I'll do it."

The leader nodded and tossed him a scroll with the rest of the data. "Very well. Good luck, Uzumaki Naruto. Farewell."

A part of the table beneath the leader moved to the side, revealing another passage out of the room. The lights went off once more, and Naruto suited up, placing the kunai on his right leg and the shuriken on his left. He used the pouch to store his books, noting the few bills of money already inside. It could be worse, he thought. At least now he had a job, and one that he was good at.

Naruto stepped out of the light and into the corridor, walking until he was at another broken-down door. He opened it, and found himself in the back of a cheery smoothie shop. The worker turned to look at him, and gave him a nod, pointing to the door. Naruto smirked and hugged the kit on his shoulder, and walked out into the bright sunlight.

Next Time: A Smuggler's Gambit!

**Notes**

A little fast? I think not. After all, Naruto always did want a place to belong. And for now, this is the best he can get.

I've got a lot planned, and this may become a trilogy. Not sure yet.

Now we have a reason for Naruto's attempted murder! The council did have a reason, and it's up to you to decide if it was appropriate to do it.

I tried making the funeral scene fit the characters, and I think I did. Maybe Sasuke was a little OOC, but we saw him break down when his family was killed, so I think this is acceptable behavior from him in this situation. It's actually a little symbolic, because the Konoha ninja dies, and a Mercenary is born from the ashes.

So, the mission begins next chapter, which I should have up soon. I'll go ahead and tell you that I plan on updating New Reasons To Smile by the end of the week, and then Project Rebirth: Unit One after that, so keep alert!

**Fic Fact**

I was originally going to have Sasuke run off to Orochimaru successfully, and then later become his next body, but then I changed the plot and saw that it wouldn't work, so I kept him in Konoha. Now I've got new plans for Orochimaru.

Well, here are my thank yous. Once again, from now on I'm just going to reply instead of doing this.

**Kyubbi-Sama**-Glad you liked it, and here you go. More coming soon!

**Random Reader Person**-Yup. I did both at once, and posted them together as a little surprise for everyone. They were the two that won the vote, after all.

**actionliker**-Yup, I made it a NaruOC after all. The OC will come in around chapter 5 or 6, so hang tight!

**I am the Bane of my Sword**-Yeah, it'll be hard doing four at once, but worthwhile in the end. I kept getting urges to write these, so I'm writing them. It may slow the others down a bit, but I'll produce the same amount of content as ever.

**crazylittlefox**-Yup, a sad scene inspired from Gundam Wing Endless Waltz. I didn't like the scene in the movie (not enough character development) so I made it my own and added my own content making it original. It was meant to be sad so that Naruto's change in attitude was justified.

**highflyer33**-I'm going to finish all my fics, even if it takes me 10 years! That's a promise! Glad you like it!

**Causeiambetta**-I'm glad you saw it that way. I tried to set it up like that, and it seemed that it worked. After all, a volcano doesn't just randomly erupt when something explodes above it. Instead, the magma was at a pressure point where the weakened rock couldn't hold it in, so it burst. And spies were sent to make sure the job was done, and to recover what they could. I'm glad this is more original than others I've seen. Future chapters up soon!

**TrapedSoul**-Yeah, some stuff was unrealistic, but I'm no professional. I'll try harder next time, but no guarantees. Anyway, thanks for pointing that out. I'll try to improve on it!

**Vegeta the 3rd**-Don't forget that Naruto has had 6 months of training and time to mature. He figured it was the council who sent him after all, for the first time since the retrieval. And he was sent alone. And volcanoes don't just erupt. He figured it must have been a trap. And then the council did have their reasons, which have been explained here. Glad you liked it, though! I'll get more chapters up soon!

**cooltony101neo**-Yeah I do. It's more fun sending him out into the world to find himself, leaving everything else behind. It's always very enjoyable to read and write. Thanks for reviewing!

**ApexPredator**-I will as soon as I update the others.

**Hiroshima Kazama**-That's up to the reader to decide. Is their motive just? Some people may actually agree with the council for that reason. Of course, I personally think murder is wrong for someone who hasn't done anything wrong.

**hayatenox**-It'll only get sicker, I promise.

**Shindou26Hikaru**-Yup, that's right. I was inspired by that scene in Endless Waltz, but I never liked it. They made it so the girl could just forget about him later. This way, the relationship could've grown, but it was cut short. Perfect for Naruto now despising the council for taking everything away from him.

**shanedude**-Wow, thanks. I've seen a few personal errors myself, but I can't help but be extremely hard on myself when I look at my work. But your comment really made me happy and encouraged me that I was doing a good job. Thanks!

Alright, that's all! If you liked, or have any criticism where I could improve, please review!

Later

Tsurugi-Sama


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